Solar park microclimate and vegetation management effects on grassland carbon cycling
Solar park microclimate and vegetation management effects on grassland carbon cycling
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DOI：
10.1088/1748-9326/11/7/074016
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发表时间：
2016-07-01
影响因子：
6.7
通讯作者：
Whitaker, Jeanette
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Armstrong, Alona;Ostle, Nicholas J.;Whitaker, Jeanette
不断增长的能源需求和对低碳（C）能源的推动促使世界各地地面太阳能公园的快速增长。这是一个重大的全球土地使用变化，对东道生态系统的影响知之甚少。为了研究一个典型的太阳能公园对小气候和生态系统过程的影响，我们测量了土壤和空气小气候，植被和温室气体排放量为12个月的光伏（PV）阵列下，在光伏阵列之间的间隙和控制区在英国太阳能公园坐落在物种丰富的草原。结果表明，太阳能光伏阵列引起的空气和土壤小气候的季节和日变化。具体来说，在夏季，我们观察到冷却，高达5.2摄氏度，和干燥的光伏阵列相比，差距和控制区。相比之下，在冬季的差距地区高达1.7摄氏度的温度低于光伏阵列和控制区。此外，在夏季的温度和湿度的日变化减少光伏阵列下。我们发现小气候和植被管理解释了地上植物生物量和物种多样性的差异，两者都低于光伏阵列。春季和冬季的光合作用和净生态系统交换也较低的光伏阵列下，解释了小气候，土壤和植被指标。这些数据是了解太阳能公园在其他气候条件下的影响的起点，并提供证据支持优化太阳能公园的设计和管理，以最大限度地从不断增长的土地利用中提供生态系统服务。
Increasing energy demands and the drive towards low carbon (C) energy sources has prompted a rapid increase in ground-mounted solar parks across the world. This represents a significant global land use change with implications for the hosting ecosystems that are poorly understood. In order to investigate the effects of a typical solar park on the microclimate and ecosystem processes, we measured soil and air microclimate, vegetation and greenhouse gas emissions for twelve months under photovoltaic (PV) arrays, in gaps between PV arrays and in control areas at a UK solar park sited on species-rich grassland. Our results show that the PV arrays caused seasonal and diurnal variation in air and soil microclimate. Specifically, during the summer we observed cooling, of up to 5.2 degrees C, and drying under the PV arrays compared with gap and control areas. In contrast, during the winter gap areas were up to 1.7 degrees C cooler compared with under the PV arrays and control areas. Further, the diurnal variation in both temperature and humidity during the summer was reduced under the PV arrays. We found microclimate and vegetation management explained differences in the above ground plant biomass and species diversity, with both lower under the PV arrays. Photosynthesis and net ecosystem exchange in spring and winter were also lower under the PV arrays, explained by microclimate, soil and vegetation metrics. These data are a starting point to develop understanding of the effects of solar parks in other climates, and provide evidence to support the optimisation of solar park design and management to maximise the delivery of ecosystem services from this growing land use.